Dual leo satellite system and method for global coverage

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to satellite systems and more particularly, to the provision of a satellite system and method for communications applications, with global coverage. An optimal method of providing global broadband connectivity has been discovered which uses two different LEO constellations with inter-satellite links among the satellites in each constellation, and inter-satellite links between the constellations. The first constellation is deployed in a polar LEO orbit with a preferred inclination of 99.5 degrees and a preferred altitude of 1000 km. The second constellation is deployed in an inclined LEO orbit with a preferred inclination of 37.4 degrees and a preferred altitude of 1250 km.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a Division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/093,260, filedon Oct. 12, 2018, which is a US National Stage Application based onInternational Patent Application No. PCT/CA2017/050476, filed on Apr.18, 2017 and published as WO2017/177343 on Oct. 19, 2017. The instantapplication also claims the benefit of Canadian Application No.2,927,217, filed on Apr. 14, 2016.

BACKGROUND 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to satellite systems and moreparticularly, to the provision of a satellite system and method forcommunications applications, with global coverage.

2. Description of the Background

There is a huge demand for wireless communications world-wide, at everylevel. Commercial and personal demand for Smartphones, tablets, and thelike, continue to grow, as do the number and variety of military andaeronautical applications. As well, the demand for ever increasingbandwidth is also growing as customers expect to have access tohigh-bandwidth services such as video-conferencing, video on demand,broadcast and multimedia Internet services no matter where they are, andwhether or not they are mobile.

The need for access and bandwidth is not limited to highly populatedareas. Many governments and communications authorities have expressed aninterest in providing the same access to communications services inrural and sparsely populated areas that are enjoyed in urban areas. Evenwithout such regulatory pressure, communication system providersrecognize the large market that is currently unserved in many regions ofthe world, and the business opportunity that this presents to them.Satellite communications systems can provide broadband services toremote areas, but they have a very substantial cost. Thus, there is agreat interest in satellite systems which are efficient andcost-effective.

Satellite systems can be categorized generally into four groups, basedon the orbits that they use: Geostationary Earth Orbits (GEO), HighlyElliptical Orbits (HEO), Medium Earth Orbits (MEO) and Low Earth Orbits(LEO).

GEO satellites appear to be motionless in the sky, providing thesatellite with a continuous view of a given area on the surface of theEarth. Unfortunately, such an orbit can only be obtained by placing thesatellite directly above the Earth's equator (0° latitude), with aperiod equal to the Earth's rotational period, and which requires analtitude of 35,789 km. While such orbits are useful in manyapplications, they are very poor at covering higher latitudes, not beingvery useful above 70° latitude for reliable mobile communications. GEOcommunications satellite links become unreliable or fail as theelevation angle to the satellite decreases with increasing latitude(elevation angle refers to the line-of-sight angle between the user onthe ground and the satellite as measured from the horizon). As well, GEOsatellites have latency issues, i.e. they introduce a considerable timedelay in the transmission of data as signals travel back and forthbetween the ground-based devices and the satellite in orbit. They alsorequire higher powered communication components and larger antennas thanother satellite systems due to the greater distance from the Earth. Thehigher power requirements and larger antennas result in increased costof the satellites, and the increased satellite mass and higher orbitaltitude increase the cost of launching into this orbit.

HEO satellites can provide better coverage of high latitudes than GEOsatellites, but they have other shortcomings. HEO orbits are those inwhich one of the foci of the orbit is the centre of the Earth, the speedof the satellite being a declining function of the distance from thefocus. That is, an HEO satellite will travel closer to the Earth duringone part of its orbit (the perigee) causing it to travel very quickly atthat time, while at the other end of the orbit (the apogee), it willtravel more slowly. Thus, HEO orbits arc designed so that the satellitesmove relatively slowly over areas of interest, and quickly over areasthat arc not of interest. However, some HEO orbits pass through the VanAllen belts, which expose them to high levels of radiation, reducing thelife of the satellite. Also, HEO satellites have an apogee approximatelythe same distance from the Earth as GEO satellites, thus incurringsimilar latency issues.

MEO satellites follow circular orbits between LEO and GEOconstellations. While there are several definitions, MEO orbits aregenerally considered to be between 3,000 kilometres and 35,000kilometres in altitude. While MEO constellations can provide bettercoverage at higher latitudes than GEO satellites and do so with shortersignal latency, a large number of MEO satellites would be required toprovide world-wide coverage. Because of their higher altitude than LEOsatellites, MEO satellites must have higher powered communicationssystems and larger antennas than LEO satellites, to overcome the longersignal path lengths. O3b Networks Ltd. has a constellation of twelveInternet satellites in a MEO orbit around the equator at an altitude of8,000 kilometres. But because these satellites are deployed in anequatorial orbit, they are not effective for communications above alatitude of about 45 degrees north or south. The Global PositioningSystem (GPS) is a MEO system of 44 satellites using an altitude ofapproximately 20,200 kilometres, which conveniently yields an orbitalperiod of 12 hours. The GPS constellation is inclined at 55 degrees soit has better coverage near the poles than the O3b system, but itsperformance does degrade as one approaches the poles.

LEO satellites arc placed in circular orbits at low altitudes of lessthan 2,000 km. A constellation of LEO satellites can provide continuousworld-wide coverage but this requires many satellites as each one isover a given region for a relatively small amount of time. Because oftheir relative lower distance to the Earth, latency, the delay caused bythe distance a signal must travel, is far less than all other orbits.The latency for LEO is approximately 40 msec while for GEO it is 250msec. Latency is an increasingly important factor in broadband Internetcommunications.

There are no operational broadband LEO satellite systems, althoughseveral have been proposed, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No.9,391,702 (by Wyler) and United States Patent Publication No.US2017/0005719 (by Krebs). Because of the way these systems aredesigned, they are both quite expensive. The Krebs system, for example,requires between 841 and 1218 satellites (see paragraph [0040] ofUS2017/0005719), while the Wyler system requires about 1250 satellites(see column 5 at line 24 of U.S. Pat. No. 9,391,702). And if one wishedto increase the number of communication channels available on the Krebsand Wyler systems, one would have to do so in very large and expensiveincrements, adding hundreds of new satellites at a time (i.e. onebasically needs to double the number of planes, or add a new set ofsatellites equal to the number in the initial constellation).

There is therefore a need for an improved satellite system and methodsfor providing global coverage, particularly for broadband communicationsapplications.

SUMMARY

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved satellite systemand method for providing global communication coverage, which mitigatesupon the problems described above.

An advantageous method of providing global broadband connectivity hasbeen discovered which uses two different LEO constellations withinter-satellite links among the satellites in each constellation, andinter-satellite links between the two LEO constellations. The firstconstellation is deployed in a polar LEO constellation with a preferredinclination of 99.5 degrees and a preferred altitude of 1000 km. Thesecond constellation is deployed in an inclined LEO constellation with apreferred inclination of 37.4 degrees and a preferred altitude of 1250km. In this constellation the satellites are distributed above theequatorial region and middle latitudes, and can provide coverage betweenthe latitudes 50 degrees North and 50 degrees South, at a minimumelevation angle of 10 degrees.

The polar LEO constellation and inclined LEO constellation work togetheras a hybrid constellation to achieve true global coverage, with aminimum elevation angle of approximately 20 degrees, requiring fewersatellites than that required by a single LEO constellation at a similaraltitude. For example, using only a polar LEO constellation as describedabove, one would need 168 satellites to provide global coverage atminimum 20 degrees elevation angle. In comparison, the hybridconstellation of the invention only requires 117 satellites. A minimumelevation angle of approximately 20 degrees is preferred as this allowsthe use of electronically scanned array antennas at the user terminal.It improves the quality and efficiency of the link as the distancebetween the user and the satellite is less with higher elevation anglesand the signal incurs less atmospheric attenuation, an important factorat higher frequencies such as Ka-band. Additional satellites can beadded gradually, possibly as the demand increases, resulting in betterlook angles corresponding to an increase in robustness of the link.

It is a regulatory requirement that NGSO (non-geostationary satelliteorbit) satellites cannot cause interference to, nor claim protectionfrom, GEO satellites. The polar LEO constellation and inclined LEOconstellation described herein work together to avoid interference toGEO satellites. The polar LEO constellation and inclined LEOconstellation of the invention avoid interfering with GEO satellites byconnecting to a user terminal only when exceeding a minimumdiscrimination angle between the LEO satellite and a given GEOsatellite, as measured at the GEO user terminal. The discriminationangle is calculated on the basis of unacceptable interference levels asdetermined by the ITU. The need for LEO satellites to avoid interferencewith GEO satellites occurs more commonly above the equatorial region andmid-latitudes. The mitigation technique used to avoid interference isswitching the LEO user terminal to an alternate LEO satellite, one withan angular separation from the GEO satellite greater than thediscrimination angle. With the combination of the polar and inclinedorbits there is a much greater probability there will be a suitablealternate LEO satellite.

Communications satellites in the polar LEO constellation of theinvention will have excess capacity at higher latitudes because theirorbit planes are closer together and the user traffic demand is lower.Excess capacity in the polar LEO constellation at the higher latitudesis used to transfer user traffic, via ISL (inter-satellite link), fromboth LEO constellations to Gateways located in the North for connectionto existing terrestrial networks. A very small number of NorthernGateway sites are required (typically two) as a Gateway site can connectto satellites in more than one plane (see FIG. 1 ).

Users normally connect to the satellite systems through one of the highcapacity narrow steerable beams on the satellite. By using narrowsteerable beams, the satellite's resources, in terms of power andbandwidth, can be concentrated where the markets are located. It hasbeen observed that land mass only accounts for about 30% of the Earth'ssurface, and further, that most of the human population resides in 6% ofthe surface area. Thus, it is not an efficient use of resources toprovide broadband coverage over 100% of the Earth's surface, all of thetime, as many prior art systems try to achieve. To ensure all users canmonitor and gain access to the satellite network. anywhere on the Earthwhen located in areas not served by narrower, high capacity steerablebeams, each satellite will have a Wide Area Coverage beam serve thesatellite's entire field of view. The Wide Area Coverage beam, withlower capacity than a narrow steerable beam, allows for more robustnetwork management and user on-demand requests for a high capacity beamcoverage. That is, a user terminal in an area currently not served by anarrow high capacity beam is able to contact a satellite via the WideArea Coverage beam and request access to the satellite via a higherbandwidth, narrow steerable beam. The Wide Area Coverage beams, whichcover the entire globe continuously, also allow broadcast type services,such as pushing IP content to the user terminal and softwaredistribution.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a satellite systemfor global communications comprising: a first set of satellites in apolar LEO (low Earth orbit) constellation; a second set of satellites inan inclined LEO constellation; a user terminal for transmitting to, andreceiving signals from, the first and second set of satellites; and aGateway for transmitting to, and receiving signals from, the first andsecond set of satellites; each of the first and second set of satelliteshaving ISL (inter-satellite link) functionality with respect tosatellites in the same constellation and with satellites in the otherconstellation.

In another embodiment of the invention there is provided a satellitecommunications system comprising: a set of satellites in a LEO (lowEarth orbit) constellation; a user terminal for transmitting to, andreceiving signals from, the set of satellites; and a Gateway fortransmitting to, and receiving signals from, the set of satellites; eachof the set of satellites being operable to: transmit and receive signalsvia a Wide Area Coverage beam; receive a request from the user terminalfor high-capacity beam coverage; and respond to receiving the requestfrom the user terminal for high-capacity beam coverage by switching theuser terminal to a higher bandwidth, narrow, steerable beam, pointedtowards the requesting user terminal.

In a further embodiment of the invention there is provided a method ofoperation for a global communications satellite system for comprising:launching a first set of satellites in a polar LEO (low Earth orbit)constellation; launching a second set of satellites in an inclined LEOconstellation; using a user terminal, transmitting communications datato a first satellite in the first or second set of satellites;communicating the communications data from the first satellite, to asecond satellite in the first or second set of satellites using ISL(inter-satellite link); and transmitting the communications data fromthe second satellite, to a polar Gateway.

In a still further embodiment of the invention there is provided amethod of operation for a satellite communications system comprising:launching a set of satellites in a LEO (low Earth orbit) constellation;using a user terminal, transmitting to and receiving signals from, theset of satellites; using a Gateway, transmitting to and receivingsignals from, the set of satellites; at least one of the set ofsatellites: transmitting and receiving signals via a Wide Area Coveragebeam; receiving a request from the user terminal for high-capacity beamcoverage; and responding to receiving the request from the user terminalfor high-capacity beam coverage by switching the user terminal to ahigher bandwidth, narrow, steerable beam, pointed towards the requestinguser terminal.

Other aspects and features of the present invention will be apparent tothose of ordinary skill in the art from a review of the followingdetailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features of the invention will, become more apparentfrom the following description in which reference is made to theappended drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 presents a simplified representation of a polar LEO constellationof 12 satellites in six planes;

FIG. 2 presents a simplified representation of an inclined LEOconstellation of 9 satellites in five planes;

FIG. 3 presents the results of a system simulation showing thepercentage of time a minimum elevation angle of 20 degrees is met forlatitudes (North and South) between 0 and 90 degrees, for the combinedLEO orbits;

FIG. 4 presents an exemplary schematic diagram for a user terminal inMexico, connecting to a terrestrial network via the hybrid LEO system ofthe invention;

FIG. 5 presents an exemplary schematic diagram showing how interferencewith GEO satellites is avoided;

FIG. 6 presents an exemplary network architecture for implementing theinvention.

FIG. 7 presents an exemplary payload arrangement for a launch vehicle;

FIG. 8 presents a flow chart of an exemplary method of implementing theinvention.

FIG. 9 presents a block diagram of an exemplary Gateway in an embodimentof the invention;

FIG. 10 presents a block diagram of an exemplary satellite in anembodiment of the invention; and

Similar reference numerals have been used in different figures to denotesimilar components.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The LEO hybrid constellation of the invention consists of twomutually-supporting constellations: a polar LEO constellation and aninclined LEO constellation. Complete global, broadband communicationcoverage with a minimum elevation angle of approximately 20 degrees canbe provided with a total of 117 satellites, 72 in the polar LEOconstellation and 45 in the inclined LEO constellation. Unlike otherproposed LEO systems, initial service to any point on the globe canbegin with a much smaller number of satellites; the completion of thepolar constellation of 72 satellites, which provides global coveragewith a minimum elevation angle of approximately 12 degrees. Thesubsequent launch of the inclined constellation of 45 satellites willincrease the minimum elevation angle to approximately 20 degrees.

In the preferred embodiment the polar LEO constellation (see FIG. 1 ) isdeployed to the following parameters:

-   -   Constellation of 72 satellites, plus spares    -   12 satellites in each of 6 planes, the planes being equally        spaced (i.e. 30 degrees between adjacent planes)    -   Planes are inclined 99.5 degrees    -   Orbit altitude is 1000 km        The constellation of 72 satellites can be increased by adding        individual satellites to each plane or by adding additional        planes, then adjusting the location of the satellites within the        constellation to once again achieve a distribution optimized for        coverage.

In the preferred embodiment the inclined LEO constellation (see FIG. 2 )is deployed. to the following parameters:

-   -   Constellation of 45 satellites, plus spares    -   9 satellites in each of 5 planes, the planes being equally        spaced (i.e. 36 degrees between adjacent planes)    -   Planes are inclined 37.4 degrees    -   Orbit altitude is 1250 km        The constellation of 45 satellites can be increased by adding        individual satellites to each plane or by adding additional        planes, then adjusting the location of the satellites within the        constellation. to once again achieve a distribution optimized        for coverage. Since the market is concentrated within the        coverage area of the inclined LEO constellation, rather than        adding satellites to the polar LEO constellation, one can more        efficiently increase the capacity to meet a growing market by        adding satellites to the inclined LEO constellation, either        individual satellites to each plane or additional planes.

The redundancy on each satellite may be reduced, with the benefit ofreduced costs and the required system availability maintained, by addinga spare satellite to each plane. This additional satellite will beoperational and all satellites in a plane will be equally spaced,increasing the overall system capacity. Should a satellite fail, theloss of coverage normally provided by the failed satellite is quicklyreplaced by rephasing the remaining satellites in the plane to have themequally spaced. The time to rephase the satellites has been calculatedto be approximately one day, requiring 3% additional station keepingfuel.

To meet growing market demand satellites can be added to each plane oradditional planes may be added to either the polar LEO constellation orthe inclined LEO constellation. For example, by increasing the number ofsatellites in each plane by one (a total of 11 additional satellites),system capacity will increase by approximately 9%. In another example,by adding 5 planes between the initial 5 planes of the inclined LEOconstellation (a total of 45 additional satellites) the capacity of theinclined constellation doubles and greater redundancy is achieved.Similarly, the capacity of the polar constellation can be doubled bylaunching 72 additional satellites into 6 planes positioned between the6 planes of the initial polar constellation. Doubling the number ofplanes also provides the opportunity to seamlessly transition to thenext generation by placing satellites with the new technologies into theadded planes. Service to user terminals not yet compatible with the newtechnologies would not be impacted, as these user terminals wouldcontinue to connect to satellites in the initial planes. Increasing thecapacity of the network in increments of 45 satellites is far morecost-effective than the large increments of the prior art systems.

In addition to standard stationkeeping and power components, thesatellites in both constellations have on-board processors which performsignal regeneration and routing of IP traffic. The satellites also useinter-satellite links (ISL) to connect to adjacent satellites within aconstellation and to connect to satellites in the other constellation.This provides maximum flexibility in connectivity as each satellitebecomes an IP router, completely interconnected with other satelliteswhich are in line-of-sight. Link performance is therefore improved overexisting systems, and capacity is increased. The satellites may alsohave “store and forward” functionality allowing the satellite to storedata when communications to a target satellite or Gateway is notpossible. The stored data can then be relayed when communications ispossible. The satellites may also carry other payloads such as weathermonitoring equipment, but communications is the primary focus of thesystem.

The hybrid LEO network of the invention may be connected to theterrestrial network through two existing Gateway sites located in thenorth (in Inuvik, Canada and in Svalbard, Norway). Additional Gatewaysites in other parts of the world may be added as required by trafficvolume or to address national regulatory requirements. As noted aboveand as seen in FIG. 1 , the planes of the polar LEO constellationconverge at the poles, resulting in a high level of availability andexcess bandwidth enabling the hybrid constellation to efficientlyconnect to the terrestrial network. The system of the invention alsomitigates on the inefficiency of satellite convergence at the poles by:

-   -   making satellite communication and other services available to        northern flight routes;    -   adjusting satellite phasing to minimize the extent of satellite        convergence; that is, adjusting the relative phasing of the        planes such that there is not a satellite from each plane        arriving at the northern most point at the same time; and    -   using down-time in the polar regions as battery charge time,        reducing SWaP (satellite size, weight and power requirements).

Users connect to the hybrid LEO network through one of the satellite'ssteerable beams each with a diameter of approximately 170 km (preferablygenerated by a phased array antenna). A broad market can be served inthis way, including aeronautical mobile, large fixed. enterprise andcommunity broadband.

There is also a separate wide area coverage capability which covers theentire field of view of the satellite such that the LEO network providesglobal coverage for 100% of the time. Applications include pushingInternet content to the user terminals, broadcast of software updates,and the Internet of Things.

hater-satellite link (ISL) functionality is provided on all satellites.A simulation was performed which showed that ISL tracking betweensatellites in the polar and inclined constellations is feasible withcurrent ISL technology. The rate of change in the angle of elevation forthe ISL instrument is less than 0.05 degrees per second and rate ofchange in the angle of azimuth is less than 0.2 degrees per second. Theuse of ISL reduces the number of Gateways required to two (at Inuvik andSvalbard) as, at the very least, satellites will be able to access theterrestrial network using satellite-to-satellite communications to reacha satellite in a polar LEO constellation, and from there, reach anorthern Gateway. Having ISL on all satellites optionally allowspoint-to-any-point communications without the data passing through aGateway or a terrestrial network, for demanding users such as themilitary.

Having ISL on all satellites also allows the system to host clientsatellites in either the polar LEO constellation or the inclined LEOconstellation. A hosted satellite, such as an Earth observationsatellite equipped with a compatible ISL capability, can connect to theISL network and have its data relayed in real-time to a chosendestination. This will avoid delays and congestion caused by downlinkingthe data only when the satellite is in view of one of its gateways. Thepolar LEO constellation is particularly useful for electro-optical andinfrared imaging satellites.

The system design allows the minimum elevation angle for the userterminal to be 20 degrees. This is to allow electronically scannedantennas at the user terminal, and to improve the link budgets at theedge of the satellite field of view. Electronically scanned antennas arebasically physically flat, solid-state antennas which can be steeredelectronically. As a result, a user terminal can track a LEO satellitewithout having to physically move and aim the antenna as required withtraditional dish antennas. FIG. 3 shows the result of a simulation whichindicates that the hybrid LEO constellation of the invention willprovide a minimum 20 degree elevation angle access to at least onesatellite, world-wide, for approximately 100% of the time.

The satellite antennas comprise narrow steerable beams which concentratethe satellite resources of power and bandwidth on selected market areas.An additional Wide Area Coverage capability serves the entire field ofview of the satellite at 20 degrees elevation. To accomplish this thesatellite has a broad fixed beam of approximately 108 degrees beamwidth,pointed directly below the satellite (nadir pointing) capable ofcovering the satellites field of view to 20 degrees elevation such thatthe entire globe is covered 100% of the time. When a user terminalrequests a higher capacity connection and provides its location (i.e.GPS coordinates), the satellite can be commanded. to steer a highcapacity narrow beam in the direction of the user terminal. This allowsthe system of the invention to cover large, sparsely populated areaswithout consuming a lot of resources which are never used. Steerablebeams also allow for the ‘stacking’ of beams, that is steering more thanone beam to cover an area, providing additional power and bandwidth tomeet particularly large demands. There are also satellite antennas thatprovide links to the Gateways, which in this case is V-band. But ofcourse, any suitable frequency band may be used.

The system and method of the invention can also easily accommodate theaddition of military Ka-band capability; this will have minimal impacton the satellite payload as spectrum is adjacent to the commercialKa-band. There is a rapidly increasing demand for high capacityresilient military communications. A LEO constellation is inherentlyresilient as it consists of a large number of satellites making itdifficult for an adversary to disrupt the network. Resiliency is furtherincreased by having ISL which allows the network to connect any twopoints without the data passing through the terrestrial network. Incontrast, GEO constellations can consist of a small number of satellites(approximately 3 to 5) and the loss of any one will cause long-termdisruption in service for a significant portion of the world.

The expected market for the system of the invention is any entity whichrequires wireless broadband services. While the system providesworld-wide coverage, certain customers may only require remote access inspecific geographic areas. The market may include, for example:

-   -   large users, which may require trunking VSAT;    -   maritime communications;    -   aeronautical communications;    -   broadband connectivity (community aggregate, WIFI hot spots);    -   cellular backhaul;    -   pushing Internet content to the user terminals; and/or    -   Internet of Things.

Inter-Satellite Links (ISL)

An important aspect of the invention is the inclusion of ISL between allof the satellites in the hybrid constellation. ISLs improve flexibilityand capacity of the system as it reduces the minimum number of requiredGateways by relaying traffic via the polar LEO satellites to majorNorthern Gateways (such as Inuvik and Svalbard). Though of course,regional Gateways may be used or added when dictated by traffic volumeor required by national regulations. Thus, the system:

-   -   allows support for markets in regions where no Gateway is        located, for example due to remoteness or regulatory issues;    -   allows global connectivity from one country of origin to any        other through a single satellite network; and    -   allows many types of services to be provided.        As well, having complete ISL communication between all of the        satellites allows the system of the invention to host a client's        satellite in any of the planes, provided that satellite is        equipped with compatible ISL hardware and appropriate routing        software.

To maximize the benefits of ISL, larger capacity feeder links withGateways are required. Thus, V-band, with greater bandwidth available,is preferred.

Radio frequency ISL (RF ISL) could be used, but optical ISL is preferredbecause of the higher data rates it can support with lower mass andpower requirements. Issues of pointing, acquisition and tracking areconsiderations in the design of optical ISL systems, but these have beenresolved for LEO to LEO systems.

There are three particular ISL cases which must be considered in thesystem of the invention:

-   -   intra-plane connectivity (forward and back);    -   inter-plane connectivity (left and right) within same        constellation; and    -   inter-constellation connectivity (between polar LEO satellites        and inclined LEO satellites).        Intra-plane connectivity (forward and back) is easy to perform        as the satellites are moving at the same speed and in the same        direction. Inter-plane connectivity (left and right) within same        constellation is straightforward for inclined orbits as while        the satellites are in different planes, they are still moving at        the same speed. and in the same direction. Inter-plane        connectivity (left and right) across the seam of the polar        constellation is very difficult, and with only a polar        constellation, the seam must be avoided by relaying the data        across many polar planes, increasing delays and traffic load. As        explained below, the seam of the polar constellation can be        bypassed by sending communications through the inclined        constellation, rather than across the seam of the polar        constellation. And finally, inter-constellation connectivity        does require that the satellites locate and track one another,        but technology exists to deal with this problem.

Determining the optimum path for the data to travel via satellites withISL between a user terminal and a Gateway with terrestrial IP networkconnectivity, or for the data. to travel via satellites with ISL betweentwo user terminals without passing through a Gateway, may beaccomplished by IP routers on board each satellite. IP router algorithmsfor handoff, capacity/load management, route management, load balancingand the like are all known and will operate over a satellite network inthe same manner as they operate over any other communication network ofIP routers. The physical layer being a satellite network does not affectthe IP data communication (i.e. the communication layer). The IP datawill be routed to a polar LEO satellite if that is the most efficientroute for the data to take to reach a Gateway connected to theterrestrial IP network.

The system of the invention does not have the ‘seam’ problem of systemslike the Iridium constellation because data and communication trafficcan be routed between the satellites of the polar constellation and theinclined constellation. Technically, there is a seam within the polarconstellation of the invention, but the routing software can cross theseam by routing traffic through the inclined constellation. The routingsoftware is aware of all possible ISL connections and routes. If twosatellites are moving too quickly with respect to one another, which isthe basis for the seam problem, then the routing software will not havethis connection available and will simply choose a different route.Thus, with the use of both constellations, and ISL between all of thesatellites in both constellations, there is no ‘seam’ problem to contendwith.

As well, known methodologies for management of data and communicationtraffic over existing networks can equally by applied to the satellitenetwork of the invention. Data could be prioritized so that real timeneeds are satisfied using more direct connections, with typically highercosts being charged to the user. Conversely, users with less urgentneeds may have their data routed through slower channels, at lessexpense. Other cost, weighting, prioritizing, scheduling and loadmanagement models may also be used.

For example, if a user 410 in Mexico City wishes to access the Internet,their wireless connection to the system will typically be to a satellite420 in the inclined LEO constellation as shown in FIG. 4 . This firstlink to the satellite 420 in the inclined LEO constellation will be atKa-band. This satellite 420 then connects via ISL to a polar LEOsatellite 430 in the north that has capacity to communicate with aGateway 440. The polar LEO satellite 430 then connects to the Gateway440 at Inuvik using a V-band feederlink. The Inuvik Gateway 440 hasterrestrial fibre connectivity, providing broadband Internet access forthe user 410.

Avoiding Interference with GEO

As noted above, NGSO (non-geostationary orbit) satellites cannot causeinterference to, nor claim protection from, GSO (geostationary orbit)satellites. Article 22 of ITU must be respected to ensure coexistencewith Geostationary Satellite Orbit (GSO) Networks, meeting epfd(effective power flux density) limits.

Discrimination angles have been calculated based on effective power fluxdensity (epfd) limits. The discrimination angle 510 as shown in FIG. 5is defined as the angle between the GEO satellite 520 and the LEOsatellite 530, as measured at the GEO user terminal 540. The LEOsatellite 530 will interfere with the GEO user terminal 540 when itstransmitted signal falls within the beam of the GEO user antenna. Thisoccurs when the LEO user terminal 550 and the GEO user terminal 540 aregeographically close and the angular separation between the LEOsatellite 530 and the GEO satellite 520 is small. The discriminationangle 510 is calculated such that a LEO satellite separated from a GEOsatellite at an angle greater than the value of the discrimination anglewill not cause unacceptable interference to the GEO terminal. The levelof unacceptable interference is determined by the effective power fluxdensity limits defined by the ITU. The satellite constellation of theinvention is centrally managed by a Network Management System (notshown) which is in continuous contact with all satellites in theconstellation. The NMS has tables containing the locations and frequencyof operations of all the GEO satellites and the locations of GEOterminals, either known or assumed making worst case assumptions. Withthis GEO data coupled with detailed knowledge of the LEO constellation,the NMS can predict a situation of potential interference to the GEOnetwork hours or even days in advance. The interference mitigationtechnique of switching a user terminal to an alternate LEO satellite,one that has an angular separation with the GEO satellite greater thanthe discrimination angle, can be planned in advance and efficientlyexecuted without disrupting service to the users. Because the inventionuses a combination of polar LEO and inclined LEO orbits there is a highprobability there will be a suitable alternate LEO satellite available.

For the wide area coverage beam, which is not steered, the likelihoodand degree of interference with GEO ground stations can also be reducedby one or more of the following techniques:

-   -   using frequencies in portions of the Ka band which are less        common in GEO systems;    -   using a spread spectrum modulation technique to spread the        signal over a much larger bandwidth, avoiding interference by        reducing the power flux density below the limits set by the ITU;    -   as the constellation expands to meet market growth, redundant        coverage for the wide area coverage beams in the equatorial        regions will mean users may be handed off to a non-interfering        satellite; and/or    -   the fixed wide area coverage satellite beam can be steered to        avoid interference with the GEO network by changing the attitude        of the satellite (i.e. body steering).        Because this is a predictable, deterministic situation, rigorous        calculations can be performed and these mitigation techniques        can be planned for ahead of time.

Other Exemplary Embodiments

The preferred embodiment of the invention has been described above, butit would be clear to a person skilled in the art that the parameters ofthe system may be modified and still provide much the same result.Considerations for such modifications include the following:

-   Inclination: The inclination is the angle between the orbital plane    of the satellites, and the plane that passes through the Earth's    equator. A polar LEO satellite can be defined as one whose    inclination is such that global coverage is achieved, either    continuously as with the embodiment of the invention or over a    period of time, such as a single satellite in a single plane,    usually for Earth observation applications rather than    communications. The range in inclination for a polar LEO orbit is    approximately 80 to 100 degrees. The preferred inclination of the    polar LEO satellites is 99.5 degrees. The inclination of the    inclined LEO satellites is determined by the area of the globe the    satellite constellation is to serve. For the preferred embodiment of    the invention 37.4 degrees has been chosen as a constellation with    this inclination can cover the market concentrated between 50    degrees north and 50 degrees south latitude. However the inclination    may range between 5 and 75 degrees in some embodiments addressing    different market areas.-   Planes/Number of Satellites: Having multiple satellites in the same    orbital plane is the preferred implementation for a number of    reasons. In addition to simplifying the coordination of orbits with    ground stations, it also allows multiple satellites to be launched    from a single launch vehicle, or increasing the number of satellites    in the same plane for redundancy and/or improved performance. The    number of planes and the number of satellites in plane may be varied    and still meet a design objective, for example global coverage for a    polar LEO orbit. This objective can be achieved with 11 satellites    in each of 6 planes, 8 satellites in each of 9 planes or, in the    preferred implementation, 12 satellites in each of 6 planes. This    factor is similar for an inclined LEO orbit, where the preferred    implementation is 9 satellites in 5 planes. An example of a    variation is 8 satellites in 6 planes. Determining an optimal    constellation considers factors such as the minimum elevation angle    achieved, the level of redundancy and the relative ease of    deployment, while still achieving the coverage objectives. It may be    desirable to launch an additional redundant satellite into the same    plane in case one satellite fails. Having the redundant satellite in    the same plane makes it easier to place it into the proper position    and activate it when required. This kind of redundancy is more    difficult to achieve as the number of planes increases.-   In developing the system of the invention it was initially assumed    that one orbital strategy (polar, inclined, Ballard Rosette, etc.)    would be found to be optimal, but that was not the case. And even    when it was determined that a combination of a polar constellation    and an inclined constellation was the best approach for a global    communication system, the optimal values for the inclination, number    of planes and number of satellites (i.e. a polar LEO constellation    of 72 satellites in 6 planes, 99.5 degrees inclination, and altitude    of 1000 km, in combination with an inclined constellation of 45    satellites in 5 planes, inclined 37.4 degrees, and altitude of 1250    km) was not predictable. That is, the development of the invention    was not simply a matter of one constellation addressing the    shortcomings of the other. And furthermore, when these values were    manipulated, it was also found the results of those manipulations    were not predictable. For example, it was found that:    -   1. adding another plane to the polar constellation would not        significantly improve the minimum elevation angles;    -   2. increasing the inclination angle of the inclined        constellation would not improve the minimum elevation angle        without the addition of more satellites,    -   3. adding more satellites to the existing polar planes would not        provide much advantage.-   Eccentricity: The eccentricity is the shape of the elliptical path    of an orbit, which dictates the altitude of the apogee (the highest    altitude) and the perigee (the lowest altitude). By definition, all    LEO orbits are circular, so they have an eccentricity of 0.-   Altitude: The altitude of LEO satellites is limited on the low end    by atmospheric drag, which begins to occur at altitudes less than    800 km and takes additional station keeping fuel to overcome. The    maximum altitude is about 1400 km as above this the level of    radiation increases, negatively impacting the satellite lifetime.    Another factor is space debris which for LEO orbits has a higher    concentration between 800 and 1000 km and therefore a higher    probability of collision. As noted above, the polar LEO satellites    are deployed into an orbit at a preferred altitude of 1000 km, while    the inclined. LEO satellites are deployed into an orbit at a    preferred altitude of 1250 km.-   Argument of Perigee: The Argument of Perigee is another parameter    for elliptical orbits, describing the orientation of an elliptical    orbit with respect to the equatorial plane. Because all LEO orbits    are by definition circular, this parameter is not relevant.-   Longitude of the Ascending Node: In simple terms, the Longitude of    the Ascending Node describes where the orbital plane crosses the    Earth's equator. The Longitude of the Ascending Node becomes a    factor in specifying the orbit, for example having satellites in    adjacent planes offset from one another to optimize the coverage of    a constellation. As noted above, it is preferable that the orbital    planes of the invention are evenly spaced simply to provide optimal    coverage of the Earth. But the orbital planes could be spaced in    some other manner.-   Orbital Period: The orbital period is determined by a satellite's    altitude, which in the case of LEO satellites is in the order of 1.5    hours to 2 hours. When designing LEO orbits, the period is    determined by the altitude, which as indicated above may vary    between 800 km and 1400 km.-   Orbit Control: Satellite constellations of the invention experience    changes in the aforementioned orbital parameters over time due the    Earth's oblateness, gravitational forces of the sun and moon, and    solar radiation pressure. These can be compensated by the    satellite's on-board propulsion system. The manner in which this is    done is described hereinafter.-   Gateways and User Terminals: As shown in FIG. 6 , the system    includes a ground based communications network 620 made up of user    terminals, LEO satellites 630 with communications functionality and    at least one Gateway 610. The Gateway 610 is required to obtain data    from the LEO satellites 630 and to effect Telemetry, Tracking &    Control (TTC). Directional antennas would be used because of their    greater efficiency, requiring the Gateway(s) 610 to track the LEO    satellites 630 across the sky. Tracking technology is well known in    the art. Handoff from one satellite to the next as they move across    the sky would not require any interaction for the user. Handoff can    be affected using known techniques. Similarly, the user terminals of    620 must acquire and track a satellite and accomplish handoffs    between satellites.-   Standard satellite communication bands may be used, including:    L-Band (1-3 GHz); X band (approximately 7-8 GHz); Ku Band    (approximately 11-15 GHz), and Ka Band (approximately 17-31 GHz).    Error correction, encoding and re-transmission of lost/corrupted    packets would also be used.

As explained above, the system of the invention provides advantages overprior satellite constellation systems in addressing the ‘seam’ problem,exploiting extra communication resources available in polar regions,allocation of power and bandwidth to targeted markets, and in that thecapacity can be increased incrementally, with the addition of acomparatively small number of satellites. Additional advantages of thesystem include at least the following:

-   -   complete world-wide coverage is provided with a smaller number        of satellites compared to other methods;    -   no GEO or MEO satellites are required, so there are no issues        with latency, power requirements, antenna sizes and poor polar        coverage associated with GEO and some MEO constellations;    -   secure direct user terminal to user terminal connectivity        without the data passing through a Gateway or through an        intervening terrestrial network (this is done in the Krebs        system referred to in the Background of the Invention); and    -   no HEO satellites are required, so there are no issues with        latency or, as with some HEO constellations, exposure to the Van        Allen Belts.        With regard to the first bullet point, “LEO: Roar or Whimper:        Low Earth Orbit Broadband Constellations: Technical and Economic        Truths” ICG, notes that the Teledesic system of 650 satellites        in a polar constellation will have roughly 15 satellites serving        Africa at any one time (2.3% of the constellation). In contrast,        the polar constellation of the invention, despite having only 72        satellites but using steerable beams, will provide an average of        12.1 satellites serving Africa at any one time (16.9% of the        constellation), and a minimum of 9 satellites (12.5% of the        constellation). The combination of the polar and inclined        constellations of the invention, of course, will provide even        better coverage.

Orbit Control

Satellite constellations of the invention will experience changes in theaforementioned orbital parameters over time due to the Earth'soblateness, gravitational forces of the sun and moon, and solarradiation pressure. These can be compensated by performing periodicorbit-correction maneuvers (i.e. “stationkeeping” maneuvers) using thesatellite's on-board propulsion system.

The size of each orbital correction will be determined by the thrust andduration of the “delta-v” maneuvers (“delta-v” is merely an aerospaceterm for a change in velocity). Because longer maneuvers are lessefficient, it will be preferable to perform frequent, short-durationmaneuvers rather than less-frequent, long-duration maneuvers. Forsatellites equipped with chemical (bi-propellant) propulsion systems,the achievable thrust will be large enough to allow several days or evenweeks between maneuver pairs. For satellites utilizing high-efficiency,low-thrust ion thrusters, maneuvers may be performed during every orbitrevolution.

Computer software systems are known to manage other satellite flightsystems and could easily be modified to accommodate the orbits describedherein.

FIG. 7 presents a cross-sectional view of an exemplary payload 900 for alaunch vehicle (not shown) containing three satellites 630. A muchlarger number of satellites is possible, depending on the mass of asatellite and the capability of the launch vehicle. 25 satellites perlaunch vehicle is a practical number for the system of the invention.The launch vehicle will include a sufficient number of propulsionstages, of sufficient capacity, to carry the satellites 630 into thedesired orbit, or into a position from which the satellites 630 canreach their operational orbits (i.e. two propulsion stages, threestages, etc.). The launch vehicle may carry multiple satellites 630 intoa lower altitude parking orbit. The lower altitude parking orbit rotatesabout the Earth with respect to the operational orbit, known asdifferential nodal regression, and at an optimal point a satellite 630may propel itself into the operational orbit. Alternatively, the launchvehicle may launch satellites 630 directly into their operational orbit.

As will be described with respect to FIG. 10 , each satellite 630 willinclude a communications system, a control system and a propulsionsystem. Regardless of what configuration of launch vehicle is used,these systems allow the satellites 630 to communicate with the Gateway610, and position themselves into their final operational orbits, andtheir proper position within the constellation.

Satellite Activation and Commissioning:

Referring to FIG. 8 , once the satellite constellation has been launched1010 by the launch vehicle, the satellites 630 may be activated and acommissioning/testing procedure of the basic systems performed 1020.This commissioning/testing procedure may include deploying antennas androtating the satellite 630 so that the satellite 630 is pointed in theappropriate direction, deploying solar panels, energizing processors andelectronic systems, booting-up software systems, and verifying operationof all basic systems and subsystems. It may also be necessary to performtrouble-shooting and/or corrective measures as part of this procedure.

Once the basic systems and subsystems have been activated and theiroperation verified, the satellites 630 may be transitioned into theirfinal orbital positions 1030. As described above, this may comprise thesatellites 630 simply propelling themselves into the correct nodalseparations if they were launched into the same operational orbit.Alternatively, if the satellites 630 were launched into a parking orbit,they may be required to consume a much larger quantity of fuel to propelthemselves into their operational orbit and nodal separation.

With the satellites 630 now in their final orbital positions, thepayloads may be activated, commissioned and tested 1040. This would bedone in much the same manner as the activation, testing andcommissioning of the satellites' basic systems described above, i.e.deploying any necessary antennas or sensors, energizing processors andelectronic systems, booting-up software systems, and verifying operationof all the payload systems and subsystems. Of course, trouble-shootingand/or corrective measures may also be performed as part of the payloadcommissioning procedure.

The satellites 630 are now in an operational mode. Operation of thepayload will be determined completely by the nature of the payload.

With all of the satellite systems and payload operational, the onlyremaining concern is to maintain the position of the satellite 630 inthe orbit of interest 1050. This can be effected in the manner describedabove under the heading “Orbit Control”. Satellite position informationmay be determined by the satellite 630, a Gateway 610 or some othercontrol center. Typically, satellite position information may becalculated from global positioning system (GPS) data and/or from othersatellite telemetry.

Optionally, certain systems and subsystems may be deactivated in thecourse of the satellites' orbits, for example, to conserve power or toprotect instrumentation. For example, a communications payload may beactive only when serving parts of the Earth where users are present. Atother times it may be desirable to deactivate the payload systems,re-activating it as it re-enters the region of interest. It may bedesirable to keep the basic satellite subsystems operational at alltimes, so that it may continue to receive and transmit data related toits health, status and control. It may also be desirable to recharge asatellite's batteries during these quiescent periods.

Gateway Design:

FIG. 9 illustrates a simplified block diagram of an exemplary Gatewaysystem 1100 for communicating with the satellites 630. The communicationsignals may include operational/control signals and payload relatedsignals. In the case of a scientific payload, the payload relatedsignals may include control signals transmitted to instruments, andobservation/monitoring data received from the instruments. The Gatewaysystem 1100 may he modified to receive and present other types ofinformation, and may be used in conjunction with one or more computers,servers, networks and other related devices.

As shown in FIG. 9 , the Gateway system 1100 may include an antenna1110, a transceiver 1120, a processing unit or system 1130, and anetwork communications system 1140.

The antenna 1110 is designed to receive and transmit signals at thedesired communication frequencies. Typically, the antenna 1110 will be ahighly-directional, tracking antenna, in the interest of maintainingeffective broadband communication levels.

The Gateway transceiver 1120 consists of a receiver portion forreceiving data from the satellites and preparing it for the CPU 1130,and a transmission portion for process data from the CPU 1130, preparingit for transmission to the satellites 630 via the antenna 1110. Thetransmitting portion of the transceiver 1120 may, for example,multiplex, encode and compress data to be transmitted to the satellites630, then modulate the data to the desired transmission frequency andamplify it for transmission. Multiple channels may be used, errorcorrection coding, and the like. In a complementary manner, the receiverportion of the transceiver 1120 demodulates received signals andperforms any necessary demultiplexing, decoding, decompressing, errorcorrection and formatting of the signals from the antenna, for use bythe CPU 1130. The antenna and/or receiver may also include any otherdesired switches, filters, low-noise amplifiers, downconverters (forexample, to an intermediate frequency), and other components.

A local user interface 1150 is also shown in FIG. 11 . The geographicpositions of the Gateway(s) 610 may be chosen. to minimize the number ofGateways required. As a result, the Gateway(s) 610 may not be in ageographic location that is convenient for the satellite operatorsand/or parties receiving the payload data. Thus, the Gateway(s) 610 willtypically be provided with network communication facilities 1140 so thatremote computers 1160 may be used to access the system over the Internetor similar networks 1170.

Satellite Design:

FIG. 10 illustrates a simplified block diagram of a satellite 630 whichmay be used in an exemplary embodiment of the invention. As shown, thesatellite 630 may include a stationkeeping system 1210, a propulsionsystem 1220, a power system 1230, a communications system, a computerprocessing system 1240 and a payload 1250. The communications systemwill typically consist of a transceiver 1260 (or transceivers) and a setof antennas 1270. Of course, other components and arrangements may beused to implement the invention, including, for example, redundant andback-up components.

The stationkeeping subsystem 1210 is responsible for maintaining thesatellite's orbit. Accordingly, the stationkeeping subsystem 1210 maycalculate and/or receive attitude and/or orbit adjustment information,and may actuate the propulsion system to adjust the satellite's attitudeand/or orbit. Maintaining the orbit may also include maintaining thedesired nodal separations between itself and the other satellites withinthe satellite constellation. The propulsion system 1220 may include forexample, a fuel source (i.e. fuel and oxidant tanks) and liquid fuelrocket, or an ion-thruster system.

The power subsystem 1230 provides electrical power to all of thesatellite systems and subsystems. The power subsystem 1230 may, forexample, include one or more solar panels and a supporting structure,and one or more batteries.

The set of satellite antennas 1270 would be designed to accommodate thecommunications frequencies and systems required to provide the ISL,narrow steerable beams (for example, 16 electronically steerable beamsper satellite) and Wide Area Coverage beams described above to serve theusers, and antennas to connect to the Gateways. In view of the physicalsize and weight constraints of the satellite, these antennas will bemuch smaller than the antenna 1110 of the Gateway 610. The direction ofthe beams of the set of antennas 1270 are controlled by mechanicallysteering the antenna or electronically steering the antenna beam.Alternatively, the satellite attitude may be controlled to steer the setof antennas 1270.

Similarly, the satellite transceiver 1260 is designed to becomplementary to that of the Gateway 610 and user terminals 620,consisting of a receiver portion for receiving data from the Gateway610/user terminals 620 and preparing it for the CPU 1240, and atransmission portion for process data from the CPU 1240, preparing itfor transmission to the Gateway 610/user terminals via the set ofantennas 1270. As well, the satellite transceiver 1260 is designed to becomplementary to those of the other satellites so that ISL can beeffected.

The transmitting portion of the transceiver 1260 may, for example,multiplex, encode and compress data to be transmitted, then modulate thedata to the desired transmission frequency and amplify it fortransmission. Multiple channels may be used, error correction coding,and the like. The receiver portion of the transceiver 1260 demodulatesreceived signals and performs any necessary demultiplexing, decoding,decompressing, error correction and formatting of the signals from setof antennas 1270, for use by the satellite CPU 1240. The set of antennasand/or transceiver may also include any other desired switches, filters,low-noise amplifiers, downconverters (for example, to an intermediatefrequency and/or baseband), and other components.

The CPU system 1240 of the satellite 630 typically receives signals usedfor operation of the attitude and orbit control systems. It alsoreceives control signals for operation of the payload 1250, andprocesses payload data for transmission to the Gateway 610. It may alsomanage activation and deactivation of the various subsystems as thesatellite 630 passes into and out of the geographic region of interest.If the satellite 630 is intended to operate as an IP router, thefunctionality to do so may either be as part of the CPU system 1240 oras part of the payload 1250.

Options and Alternatives:

The system of the invention may be applied to at least the followingapplications:

-   -   1. Communications applications such as machine to machine, some        communications protocols, including next generation cellular        networks 4G and 5G require low latency that cannot be adequately        served from satellites in GEO;    -   2. Maritime and air traffic currently must switch from        geostationary communications to unreliable and low bandwidth HF        (high frequency) radio communications when at high latitudes        beyond the reach of satellites in geostationary orbit. The        system of the invention could support broadband communications,        navigation and surveillance with aircraft and ships in these        areas. There are currently 700 aircraft per month using polar        routes and continuous coverage over the north circumpolar region        is required to improve safety and efficiency of air traffic in        the area, as well as broadband connectivity for passengers;    -   3. Earth Observation: These payloads can perform well in the        described orbits and provide global monitoring of weather,        greenhouse gases, and ocean color radiometry, as examples;    -   4. Space Situational Awareness: These payloads can detect space        hazards such as debris and asteroids as well as other satellites        which may be considered hazards; and    -   5. Space Weather: The orbits of the invention can support space        weather payloads which measure such factors as solar radiation,        and the Earth's ionosphere.

Conclusion:

One or more currently preferred embodiments have been described by wayof example. It will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that anumber of variations and modifications can be made without departingfrom the scope of the invention as defined in the claims. For example,the selection of the inclination, altitude and number of satellites isdependent on the tradeoffs between the required service areas, theamount of fuel on the spacecraft and the launch mass of the payload.These parameters can be optimized to accommodate different priorities,without departing from the concept of the invention.

The method steps of the invention may be embodied in sets of executablemachine code stored in a variety of formats such as object code orsource code. Such code may be described generically as programming code,software, or a computer program for simplification. The embodiments ofthe invention may be executed by a computer processor or similar deviceprogrammed in the manner of method steps, or may be executed by anelectronic system which is provided with means for executing thesesteps. Similarly, an electronic memory medium such computer diskettes,hard drives, thumb drives, CD-ROMs, Random Access Memory (RAM), ReadOnly Memory (ROM) or similar computer software storage media known inthe art, may be programmed to execute such method steps.

All citations are hereby incorporated by reference.

1. A satellite communications system comprising: a set of satellites ina LEO (low Earth orbit) constellation; a user terminal for transmittingto, and receiving signals from, said set of satellites; and a Gatewaytear transmitting to, and receiving signals from, said set ofsatellites; at least one of said set of satellites being operable to:transmit and receive signals via a Wide Area Coverage beam; receive arequest from the user terminal for high-capacity beam coverage; andrespond to receiving the request from the user terminal forhigh-capacity beam coverage by switching the user terminal to a higherbandwidth, narrow, steerable beam, pointed towards the requesting userterminal; wherein the Gateway is operable to avoid interference with aGEO satellite user terminal by switching the Gateway to an alternate LEOsatellite that has an angular separation with a GEO satellite greaterthan a calculated discrimination angle, as measured at the GEO userterminal.
 2. The satellite communications system of claim 1, whereineach of said set of satellites is further operable to provide broadcasttype services.
 3. The satellite communications system of claim 1,wherein each of said set of satellites is further operable to broadcastsoftware distribution to user terminals.
 4. The satellite communicationssystem of claim 1, wherein each of said set of satellites is furtheroperable to broadcast or push Internet content to user terminals.
 5. Thesatellite communications system of claim 1, wherein the request from auser terminal includes a GPS location which can be used to steer thehigh bandwidth beam.
 6. The satellite communications system of claim 1,wherein the Gateway is operable to track the satellites across the sky.7. The satellite communications system of claim 1, wherein the Gatewayand user terminal are operable to handoff communications between thesatellites as they move across the sky.
 8. A method of operation for asatellite communications system comprising: launching a set ofsatellites in a LEO (low Earth orbit) constellation; using a userterminal, transmitting to and receiving signals from said set ofsatellites; using a Gateway, transmitting to and receiving signals fromsaid set of satellites; at least one of said set of satellites:transmitting and receiving signals via a Wide Area Coverage beam;receiving a request from the user terminal for high-capacity beamcoverage; and responding to receiving the request from the user terminalfor high-capacity beam coverage by switching the user terminal to ahigher bandwidth, narrow, steerable beam, pointed towards the requestinguser terminal; and avoiding interference with a GEO satellite userterminal by switching the Gateway to an alternate LEO satellite that hasan angular separation with a GEO satellite greater than a calculateddiscrimination angle, as measured at the GEO satellite user terminal.